Nape bowed to the Kitchen Cabinet led by you know who! to have GG reappointed.

SPEAKER of Parliament, Jeffery Nape, bowed to pressure from the Government to declare Sir Paulias Matane as Governor-General for a second term against advice from his own Parliamentary legal counsels.
This is according to Parliamentary witnesses who said Mr Nape had been advised by his lawyers to seek a Supreme Court interpretation on the uncertainty surrounding Section 87(5) of the Constitution following a point of order raised by East Sepik Governor, Peter Wararu.
They said this was to maintain the integrity of the Chair and the House in accordance with adopted and normal parliamentary best practices.
They said despite clear advice also on maintaining the independence of the Chair, the Speaker announced the Government’s interpretation of the constitutional provision.
Parliament had taken a vote on the eligibility of Sir Paulias as the incumbent Governor-General under the provision which saw him muster 84 votes with only 13 against.
Mr Wararu’s point of order was for the Speaker’s ruling over the ambiguity of the law on whether the vote taken automatically gave Sir Paulias a second term or that it only qualified him to go through the secret ballot with the other three candidates.
The other three candidates were former Auditor General, Sir Makena Geno, and former politicians Pato Kakarya and Ronald Rimbao from Enga Province.
Parliament’s advice to the Speaker was that the election of the Governor-General was provided by the Constitution and the Organic Law on the Nomination of the Governor General which were both “substantive provisions, and so are not in the Standing Orders.”
The advice was for the Speaker to inform Members that there was no precedent of any incumbent Governor-General having mustered the required number for eligibility for re-election under Section 87(5) of the Constitution “and thus it has never been an issue.”
The Speaker was advised that it was difficult for him to either declare Sir Paulias as Parliament’s nominee or to allow him to go through the secret ballot with the other candidates.
The Speaker was advised that faced with such a situation he should resort to Parliament “best practices” including having the proceedings postponed until a correct interpretation of Section 87(5) was obtained from the Supreme Court.
Mr Nape was advised to then seek approval of Parliament to refer the matter to the Supreme Court under Section 19 of the Constitution.
Witnesses said despite the advice Mr Nape was swamped by Government advisers to make the ruling declaring Sir Paulias Governor General based on advice from the chief legislative counsel’s office.

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